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Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:40:44 +0000en-us "Happiness is not a private affair: it can be more readily achieved in a society where like-minded individuals band together to help inspire one another?s pursuit of happiness" - Epicurus.
Discovered in the 1960?s by the hippies, Arambol beach has since become the place of refuge for all those who wanted to escape the routine of the West and be part of a welcoming community that promotes happiness more than anything. Arambol is this place of peace and love. Lonely Planet describes it as "a mellow paradise for long-haired long-stayers" where one can find a multitude of workshops in different disciplines, trance parties, drum circles, yoga or meditation groups. Inner happiness comes from inner peace and following the philosophy of Epicurus to the end to live in inner peace is to "... live like a God (Buddha) among your unwise fellow men".]]> "Happiness is not a private affair: it can be more readily achieved in a society where like-minded individuals band together to help inspire one another?s pursuit of happiness" - Epicurus.
Discovered in the 1960?s by the hippies, Arambol beach has since become the place of refuge for all those who wanted to escape the routine of the West and be part of a welcoming community that promotes happiness more than anything. Arambol is this place of peace and love. Lonely Planet describes it as "a mellow paradise for long-haired long-stayers" where one can find a multitude of workshops in different disciplines, trance parties, drum circles, yoga or meditation groups. Inner happiness comes from inner peace and following the philosophy of Epicurus to the end to live in inner peace is to "... live like a God (Buddha) among your unwise fellow men".]]> There is no doubt that street hawkers and their mixture within the public space are part of the cultural and historical heritage that India still has to offer. However, street hawking is generally seen as a menace that prevents the future development of the country.
It is assumed that space is just a container for all the things that co-exist inside it. In this way the modern idea of a city well structured, organized, and clean inevitably gets into conflict with the most common perception about what street hawking implies. This series explores the essential presence of hawkers in the city of Mumbai and their influence on the visual perception of public space. The images present both the subject ? portrait of the hawker at work within the public space and the public space as a subject itself.
By working on the street, hawkers are engaged in an activity that contradicts the supposed ideals of the modern urban space. My intention is to show that in fact, street hawkers assume a reinterpretation of the concept of public space and its appropriate or inappropriate use. They stand for a multitude of individual contexts that by being publicly displayed are merging together into one dynamic entity, while remaining in the same time as separate worlds. This diversity does not represent only chaos, agglomeration and confusion, but also the idea of subjectivity that brings a sense of familiarity inside the modern way of understanding public space, dominated mostly by the efficiency criterion.]]> There is no doubt that street hawkers and their mixture within the public space are part of the cultural and historical heritage that India still has to offer. However, street hawking is generally seen as a menace that prevents the future development of the country.
It is assumed that space is just a container for all the things that co-exist inside it. In this way the modern idea of a city well structured, organized, and clean inevitably gets into conflict with the most common perception about what street hawking implies. This series explores the essential presence of hawkers in the city of Mumbai and their influence on the visual perception of public space. The images present both the subject ? portrait of the hawker at work within the public space and the public space as a subject itself.
By working on the street, hawkers are engaged in an activity that contradicts the supposed ideals of the modern urban space. My intention is to show that in fact, street hawkers assume a reinterpretation of the concept of public space and its appropriate or inappropriate use. They stand for a multitude of individual contexts that by being publicly displayed are merging together into one dynamic entity, while remaining in the same time as separate worlds. This diversity does not represent only chaos, agglomeration and confusion, but also the idea of subjectivity that brings a sense of familiarity inside the modern way of understanding public space, dominated mostly by the efficiency criterion.]]> For just 1$ you can travel by train in Mumbai more than 100 km on Second Class. First Class is 10 times more expensive, the only difference being that it's less crowded. For 3 months I have traveled with more than 100 trains. Most of the shots are taken from the train and inside the train. And yes it is true. People are jumping on and off the moving trains. But this is because trains are waiting for just 15 seconds in every station. And because Mumbai is 4th most populous city in the world. ]]> For just 1$ you can travel by train in Mumbai more than 100 km on Second Class. First Class is 10 times more expensive, the only difference being that it's less crowded. For 3 months I have traveled with more than 100 trains. Most of the shots are taken from the train and inside the train. And yes it is true. People are jumping on and off the moving trains. But this is because trains are waiting for just 15 seconds in every station. And because Mumbai is 4th most populous city in the world. ]]> bucharest, pipera, 2013]]> bucharest, pipera, 2013]]> Vama Veche, Romania (left side), Varanasi, India (right side)
Varanasi is a one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is known as the 'city of learning' and people here attend religious celebrations almost every day of the year. Rituals are strict, and the inhabitants live an ascetic life.
On the other hand, Vama Veche seems to be exactly the opposite. Tourists that come here aim to escape from any responsability and tend to exagerate in everything they do.
But when it comes to 'rest', it seems that any difference of location, tradition and mentality gets cancelled.
]]> Vama Veche, Romania (left side), Varanasi, India (right side)
Varanasi is a one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is known as the 'city of learning' and people here attend religious celebrations almost every day of the year. Rituals are strict, and the inhabitants live an ascetic life.
On the other hand, Vama Veche seems to be exactly the opposite. Tourists that come here aim to escape from any responsability and tend to exagerate in everything they do.
But when it comes to 'rest', it seems that any difference of location, tradition and mentality gets cancelled.
]]> The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held at the end of June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies.]]> The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held at the end of June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies.]]> Pride, attitude, glamour and feminism in San Francisco after 50 years from the beginning of the 'sexual liberation' movement.]]> Pride, attitude, glamour and feminism in San Francisco after 50 years from the beginning of the 'sexual liberation' movement.]]> Somewhere lost in the South of Romania, we can find a place called Pecineaga - Dobrogea, where the reminisces of the so called state agricultural enterprise (IAS) are still visible. These IAS were farm lands aiming to fulfill the plan of the communist state of welfare. After 20 years and the decay of the regime they are lost in memories, but Pecineaga IAS still tries to be revived by the presence of a small community living in a strange harmony.]]> Somewhere lost in the South of Romania, we can find a place called Pecineaga - Dobrogea, where the reminisces of the so called state agricultural enterprise (IAS) are still visible. These IAS were farm lands aiming to fulfill the plan of the communist state of welfare. After 20 years and the decay of the regime they are lost in memories, but Pecineaga IAS still tries to be revived by the presence of a small community living in a strange harmony.]]> Doing a right on to a forest road from the highway that leads to the touristic resort of Vatra Dornei (North of Romania) you reach Dornisoara village. Here lives a small isolated community of people surrounded only by forests. Their main activity is cutting and processing trees and their main grievance is the lack of a paved road that will tie them to one of the two border counties. This story is about them ? Dornisoara people.
When I accidentally reached Dornisoara village I found a welcoming and opened community of people for ?glass? stories with a foreigner. I also met many children that wished to be photographed and photograph each other. This is how I spent the evening by borrowing my camera to the kids while I was chatting with their parents. During this time I found out about their wood activity, about the abandoned rail train station, about their wish to see asphalt in the main road, about how a few of them went for hard work abroad and now can offer to their children a plastic pool, toys and bikes, about the old lady that smoked her first cigarette while sitting with me at the same table just to look ?good? in pictures, about the Hungarian deaf old lumberjack that drinks alone a shot every day and in general about how is it to live isolated by forests. I felt good and decided to come back and capture moments from this small community of people.]]> Doing a right on to a forest road from the highway that leads to the touristic resort of Vatra Dornei (North of Romania) you reach Dornisoara village. Here lives a small isolated community of people surrounded only by forests. Their main activity is cutting and processing trees and their main grievance is the lack of a paved road that will tie them to one of the two border counties. This story is about them ? Dornisoara people.
When I accidentally reached Dornisoara village I found a welcoming and opened community of people for ?glass? stories with a foreigner. I also met many children that wished to be photographed and photograph each other. This is how I spent the evening by borrowing my camera to the kids while I was chatting with their parents. During this time I found out about their wood activity, about the abandoned rail train station, about their wish to see asphalt in the main road, about how a few of them went for hard work abroad and now can offer to their children a plastic pool, toys and bikes, about the old lady that smoked her first cigarette while sitting with me at the same table just to look ?good? in pictures, about the Hungarian deaf old lumberjack that drinks alone a shot every day and in general about how is it to live isolated by forests. I felt good and decided to come back and capture moments from this small community of people.]]> ]]> ]]> Pictures taken in 2009 in Dobrogea region (South of Romania)]]> Pictures taken in 2009 in Dobrogea region (South of Romania)]]> ]]> ]]>